The bitter lessons of MH17

By Pavlo Klimkin

updated 6:55 PM EDT, Tue July 29, 2014

Debris from Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 sits in a field at the crash site in Hrabove, Ukraine, on Tuesday, September 9. The Boeing 777 is believed to have been shot down July 17 in an area of eastern Ukraine controlled by pro-Russian rebels.

Australian and Dutch experts examine the area of the crash on Sunday, August 3.

A woman walks with her bicycle near the crash site on Saturday, August 2.

Police secure a refrigerated train loaded with bodies of passengers from Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 as it arrives in a Kharkiv, Ukraine, factory on Tuesday, July 22.

A pro-Russian rebel passes wreckage from the crashed jet near Hrabove on Monday, July 21.

Wreckage from the jet lies in grass near Hrabove on July 21.

A man covers his face with a rag as members of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe and the Dutch National Forensic Investigations Team inspect bodies in a refrigerated train near the crash site in eastern Ukraine on July 21.

Emergency workers carry a victim's body in a bag at the crash site on July 21.

A piece of the plane lies in the grass in eastern Ukraine's Donetsk region on July 21.

An armed pro-Russian rebel stands guard next to a refrigerated train loaded with bodies in Torez, Ukraine, on Sunday, July 20.

Ukrainian State Emergency Service employees sort through debris on July 20 as they work to locate the deceased.

A woman covers her mouth with a piece of fabric July 20 to ward off smells from railway cars that reportedly contained passengers' bodies.

Toys and flowers sit on the charred fuselage of the jet as a memorial on July 20.

People search a wheat field for remains in the area of the crash site on July 20.

A woman walks among charred debris at the crash site on July 20.

Emergency workers load the body of a victim onto a truck at the crash site on Saturday, July 19.

Emergency workers carry the body of a victim at the crash site on July 19.

A large piece of the main cabin is under guard at the crash site on July 19.

Victims' bodies are placed by the side of the road on July 19 as recovery efforts continue at the crash site. International officials lament the lack of a secured perimeter.

A man looks through the debris at the crash site on July 19.

An envelope bearing the Malaysia Airlines logo is seen at the crash site on July 19.

Armed rebels walk past large pieces of the Boeing 777 on July 19.

Ukrainian rescue workers walk through a wheat field with a stretcher as they collect the bodies of victims on July 19.

A woman looks at wreckage on July 19.

Pro-Russian rebels stand guard as the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe delegation arrives at the crash site on Friday, July 18.

A woman walks through the debris field on July 18.

Pro-Russian rebels stand guard at the crash site.

Wreckage from Flight 17 lies in a field in Shaktarsk, Ukraine, on July 18.

A man covers a body with a plastic sheet near the crash site on July 18. The passengers and crew hailed from all over the world, including Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Germany and Canada.

A diver searches for the jet's flight data recorders on July 18.

Coal miners search the crash site.

Wreckage from the Boeing 777 lies on the ground July 18.

People search for bodies of passengers on July 18.

A woman walks past a body covered with a plastic sheet near the crash site July 18.

Belongings of passengers lie in the grass on July 18.

People inspect the crash site on Thursday, July 17.

People walk amid the debris at the site of the crash.

Debris smoulders in a field near the Russian border.

Fire engines arrive at the crash site.

A man stands next to wreckage.

Debris from the crashed jet lies in a field in Ukraine.

Family members of those aboard Flight 17 leave Schiphol Airport near Amsterdam, Netherlands.

A large piece of the plane lies on the ground.

Luggage from the flight sits in a field at the crash site.

A couple walks to the location at Schiphol Airport where more information would be given regarding the flight.

Flight arrivals are listed at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang, Malaysia.

Debris from the Boeing 777, pictured on July 17.

A man inspects debris from the plane.

Wreckage from the plane is seen on July 17.

A man talks with security at Schiphol Airport on July 17.

Wreckage burns in Ukraine.

A man stands next to the wreckage of the airliner.

People inspect a piece of wreckage believed to be from Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. This image was posted to Twitter.

People inspect a piece of wreckage believed to be from Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. This image was posted to Twitter.

A piece of wreckage believed to be from Malaysia Airlines Flight 17. This image was posted to Twitter.

A piece of wreckage believed to be from MH17. This image was posted to Twitter.

An airsickness bag believed to be from MH17. This image was posted to Twitter.

A piece of wreckage believed to be from MH17. This image was posted to Twitter.

HIDE CAPTION

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

Malaysia Airlines jet crashes in Ukraine

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STORY HIGHLIGHTS

Pavlo Klimkin: With downing of MH17, price of peace in eastern Ukraine already too high

Klimkin: Ukrainians know bitterness of loss, share grief with families of the deceased

He says the guilty must be promptly punished

Editor's note: Pavlo Klimkin is the Foreign Minister of Ukraine. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

(CNN) -- During the last four months, the people of Ukraine have been fighting for their freedom, independence and European path in a war started by Russia-backed terrorists and their accomplices.

Ukrainian military forces suffer heavy losses in battles against terrorists equipped with the newest Russian weaponry. We've seen reports of the pro-Russian thugs shooting women and children, cynically calling it a "protection of the Russian-speaking population."

The price we are paying to bring peace back to the regions of Donetsk and Luhansk in eastern Ukraine is too high. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has proposed the decentralization of power as part of his peace plan. It means more freedom, more economic autonomy and more opportunities to use languages spoken in a particular community for every region.

Ukraine has also demonstrated its genuine willingness to resolve this crisis through negotiations and compromises. Our armed forces have shown exceptional restraint during their military operations in order to avoid casualties among peaceful civilians and prevent destruction of their towns and villages. Our unilateral cease-fire in the zone of the conflict had lasted from June 20 to June 30, during which 27 Ukrainian servicemen, from all over Ukraine, were killed by the bandits.

On July 17 we believe the terrorists fired at the Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777, cutting short the lives of almost 300 people. This was a tragic wake-up call to the whole world. From now on Russian exporters of terrorism bring tragedy and tears to people across the planet -- from the Netherlands to Australia.

Ukrainians, knowing too well the bitterness of loss, sincerely share grief with the families of the deceased. Our government is conducting, together with a team of international experts, a thorough investigation of the circumstances of this heinous act of terrorism. There is already incontrovertible evidence that the airliner was shot down by an anti-aircraft missile system that had arrived from Russia.

We are encouraged with the growing understanding in both the West and the East of the nature of terrorism in eastern Ukraine. While U.S. senators and European Union ministers already consider designating the Donetsk People's Republic and its Luhansk twin as terrorist organizations, we expect Russia to halt its support to terrorists. Since most of them are Russian citizens and "former" security service officers, we also urge Moscow to take them away from Ukraine. They must go home.

Russian sponsorship of terrorism in Ukraine amply demonstrates that in the 21st century any regional conflict invariably poses a threat to global security.

International and internal terrorism, as well as unbridled export of conventional and high-tech weaponry, have no regard for state borders, national sovereignty or human lives.

Ukraine has been consistently advocating not only international control of nuclear weapons, but today we also stand for the creation of a universal mechanism for international control of conventional arms.

We strive for a world based on the respect for international law and trust between nations.